Tattoo Gallery

it does not take a scientist to work out where the most obvious painful places that you can get a tattoo but do you know why?

But part of the lure and excitement of getting a tattoo is not knowing exactly how much it will hurt. Believe it or not some of us are more sensitive in certain areas than we are in others and can quite happily sit in there being done without make a sound whilst having the same tattoo done on another part of the body can result in you crying like a baby threatening to do the tattooist some damage when he or she has finished. What can feel like a scratch for some can cause the most excruciating pain in others. The most painful places are those that have a high concentration of nerve endings or an area where there is skin and bone and not a lot of fat in between. But just like the tattoo, pain is personal to you and can be affected by your mood, the weather and your tattooist! However, these tend to be the main areas that most people find painful.

1. The genitalia. Let us get this one out of the way first shall we! This will probably hurt like hell especially as the same nerves that will sense the pain are the same nerve endings that help you feel so much pleasure.

2. Top of the foot or ankle. These types of tattoos are usually favoured by women as it enables them to have intricate beautiful designs that can be shown off with sandals or bare foot. Tattoos are more painful here as there tends not to be a lot of fat between the skin and bone here.

3. Across the chest. I have seen the most hunky of men almost reduced to tears with this one. The area in question is just above the ribcage or pecs and again tends not to have a lot of body fat between the skin and bone. Ouch!

4. Behind the ear & back of neck. Again this is an area that doesn't have a lot of fat as it is mainly skin and bone but also can be a bit sensitive. Just think of the last time someone kissed, nuzzled or stroked you in this area? I rest my case!

5. Lips (inside & out). I have met a guy who had his wife's name tattooed inside his lip and a girl who had a heart shaped beauty spot tattooed at the corner of her mouth. Your lips and the surrounding areas are chock a block full of nerves, so yes, this will hurt like hell

What can you do to help the pain?

Well you can use creams but as I said in a previous article, it can delay your tattoo or have worn off or not kicked in exactly when you want it to. Taking aspirin isn't such a good idea either as it can increase bleeding. Ask the tattooist how long he thinks it will take to finish your tattoo, then add on 30 minutes for good measure. Doing that will help you deal with the pain mentally. Pain depends on the setting of the gun (the needle should only come out to around 1/16 of an inch) as well as the voltage setting on the power supply which affects the speed and distance of the needle. Try not to look, take a book or your iPod and 'zone' out.